Juneteenth Celebrated With Community March

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Franklin residents celebrating Juneteenth took to the streets June 20 with a loud, joyful celebration of Black emancipation.

Juneteenth celebrates the day in 1865 – June 19 – when Union Gen. Gordon Granger read aloud in Galveston, Texas, General Order No. 3, which announced the emancipation of slaves.

The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued by Pres. Abraham Lincoln nearly 2 1/2 years earlier, but it was not enforced in Texas, which was the most outlying of Confederate states.

Jasmin Bonner, one of the organizers of the celebration in Franklin, said she meant for the event to be more celebratory than a protest.

Also in attendance were Somerset County Freeholder Director Shanel Robinson and Township Council members Crystal Pruitt, Ram Anbarasan and Carl Wright.

After the event, Public Safety Director Quovella Spruill said in a written statement that “the men and women of the Franklin Township Police Department take pride in the relationship they have with the community. We fully support their rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. My command staff and I will continue to ensure that our officers are held to the highest standards and continue to serve the community with honor and respect. We look forward to engaging with them.”

The Franklin Reporter & Advocate live-streamed the celebration:

https://www.facebook.com/franklinreporter/videos/1180209932371358/

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